Cartier

Whether captivated by exquisite jewellery or the clean lines and tactile allure of British studio pottery, the V&A’s two summer exhibitions are not to be missed

Cartier’s aquamarine jewellery appears to have been predominantly produced from the London workshop starting in 1932.

Bonhams’ London Jewels sale on June 5 features a spectacular Cartier turquoise and diamond tiara that comes by descent from Nancy, Viscountess Astor (1879-1964).

‘Tutti Frutti’ is the name given to Cartier’s range of brightly coloured jewels in the Indian style from the 1920s-30s.

A Cartier Egyptian revival jewel, previously known only from an advert that appeared in The Illustrated London News in the 1920s, sold for £55,000 at Woolley & Wallis (26% buyer’s premium).

A Cartier necklace with a rare pink diamond was offered by Tennants (22% buyer’s premium) of North Yorkshire on March 15. It sold towards top hopes at £190,000.

Two Cartier brooches commissioned by Sir Stephen Courtauld for his wife have gone on display at Eltham Palace, eight months after they were sold at auction by Dreweatts in Newbury.

Jewellery dating to c.1960 was once owned by well-known women in New York and Palm Beach

Nagel’s (29.5% buyer’s premium) first sale dedicated to Fine Arts and Luxury in Stuttgart obviously caught the mood of the bidders.

The Dreweatts (26% buyer’s premium) sale on June 18 included two Cartier brooches commissioned by Sir Stephen Courtauld to designs inspired by Eltham Palace.

Kashmir sapphires have acquired a near-legendary status, due to their lustrous cornflower colour, soft velvety texture and extreme rarity.

Outstanding among a number of famous names at Ewbank’s (25% buyer’s premium) quarterly Jewellery and Watch sale was that of Cartier.

The September 21 sale at Dawsons in Maidenhead includes this Cartier natural sapphire and diamond brooch designed as a single bloom of cherry blossom.

On June 23 Bonhams Hong Kong sold a version of Cartier’s first-ever mystery clock: the Model A.

While prices and interest have been declining in desk sets since computer laptops rendered them largely redundant, there are exceptions.

The star of a recent Chiswick Auctions’ (25/12% buyer’s premium) Jewellery auction was an Art Deco diamond and rock crystal Cartier brooch, c.1925.

In the thrifty years after the Wall Street Crash, many Cartier jewels used fewer large diamonds and more colourful secondary stones. What they lost in intrinsic value they more than made up for with the ‘wow’ factor.